Chinese Dissidents Depend on West's 'Out and Out Lies' (Huanqiu,
China)
How should Beijing deal with the fact that China's dissidents
garner the systematic support of Western governments and media? This editorial
from the state-run Huanqiu puzzles over the problem of lessening this Western
influence while 'integrating them into a force for consolidating China's social
unity.'
Chinese police manhandle a foreign photographer covering Zhang Qingfang, lawyer of legal scholar and founder of the New Citizens movement, Xu Zhiyong, near the No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, where Xu was handed a four year sentence for 'gathering a crowd to disturb public order.'
The
U.S. government has expressed "deep disappointment" over the four
year prison sentence handed down to [human rights lawyer] XuZhiyong. Mainstream media in the West has shown great
support for him, which has boosted his influence among other Chinese
dissidents. The rising number of dissidents in China has been something of a
trend in recent years, but few have become "well-known."
The
Internet has greatly facilitated the expression of views among dissidents and
enabled them to establish their own circles. Given the diversity that characterizes
China's society today, they have made up for the previous lack of a so-called
"anti-establishment." Active on the margins of legality, they have
formed a complex relationship with the task of reform. Though most often
supporting specific reforms, they advocate radical and illegal means of
"putting reform first," consequently sabotaging their own reform
objectives.
Ultimately,
the expectations of most dissidents run counter to the Constitution, with some
advocating the abolition of the leadership of the Communist Party, altering
China's socialist system, or implementing a multi-party capitalist democracy.
In stressing constitutional guarantees of free speech, they champion
fundamental changes to China's political system, which they want to be freely
disseminated, thus promoting such processes.
Through
their actions, dissidents often violate the laws. In XuZhiyong's case, the court found him guilty of "instigating demonstrations"
and "disrupting public order." He was therefore sentenced under the
criminal law. Many compared him to more radical people, but Xu only
elaborated on his views and didn't cross the boundary into committing illegal
physical acts. Although his Internet posts were deleted, he avoided more
serious legal action.
Generally
speaking, today's dissidents become well known only after creating trouble. While
they often stir up great friction within their own nearby communities, there are a number
of prerequisites for them to become "famous."
One
of these key conditions is the support of Western media, which must report that
they are "oppressed." Standing behind it, Western governments also
must treat them as central figures around which the human rights debate can be focused.
In addition to Liu Xiaobo, the most famed dissident in
recent years, there are also Ai Weiwei
and Chen Guangcheng. It's easy to see how the way they "stood
out" for the Western public played a decisive role in their notoriety. In
recent years, legal action regarding a variety of dissidents has attracted Western
interest, and when pro-dissident opinion in China also heats up, their fame can
be likened to a fleeting meteor.
So
of course, one cannot say that the West has single-handedly built up these
dissidents, since they first emerged from within Chinese society. There is,
however, a very strong correlation between these dissidents and the values of
Western society, which lends them tremendous social and material support, and
which, to some extent, boosts Western soft power.
There is no denying that supporting China's
dissidents, far from being spontaneous, has long been an established policy of Western
countries. Chinese dissidents have long understood the importance of Western support,
and in fact, this support is one of their most inspiring spiritual pillars.
So
it isn't so much that Western backing for Chinese dissidents is a "conspiracy"
of some kind. Rather, it is a phenomenon of "out and out lies." These
states pursue this openly, shaping it into a rule of the game between China and
the West. As long as China remains behind in terms of soft and hard power,
dissidents who tend to ally with the values and even the actions of those
nations will continue to emerge.
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
China
is confronted with a long-term conundrum in terms of how to deal with the
dissident phenomenon. In a pluralistic society, dealing with these issues is
very complex and difficult to resolve.
Now
that confrontation has become the method many dissidents take for realizing their
personal goals, integrating them into a force for consolidating China's social unity
is indeed a challenge.
